8 Easy Ways To Stuff More Cash In Your Pocket

chrisguntonAs we ramp up financial plans and resolutions for the new year, we're all looking for ways to make extra money.

It's no secret - if there's debt to be paid, there's money to be made. Check out the following ways to make extra money while putting a dent in your debt or better yet saving for a rainy day.

Pet Sitting, Especially Overnight Pet Sitting

Pet sitting is a great money maker as pet owners are willing to shell out the cash to make certain their pets don't lose their furry minds while they are gone on vacation or just away for the weekend. The hours are convenient for someone who already has a 9-5 as the overnight portion typically starts late evening and goes into the next morning. The rates for this can run upwards of $50 per night if you own your own pet sitting business. If you go through a pet sitting service then you can expect to net around 25%-50% of the total fee paid by the owner. If you have the time to attend to the pet during the day then there's extra cash in this as well: walking, cleaning the litter box, administering medication etc

Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping is a great way to earn money during down time since it requires very little effort. Many companies allow you to sign up and get started on the same day which is great since you get the cash within 1-2 weeks after your assignments have been completed and verified. EMPSonline.com has always been a consistent place which lists "shops" that pay $40 per shop. The best part? They offer direct deposit and the ability to submit your reports online. This streamlines the process and lessens the time between starting a shop and getting paid.

Ebay and Craigslist are great for selling old stuff. Your trash is another man's treasure and they are more than willing to pay you for it. Go forth and list your items there and get your money! Another tip? You may sometimes come across an item that is grossly under-priced on Craigslist and sell it on Ebay if you're willing to ship it to someone in another state. This tends to be the case with so computers and other electronics if the person is desperate to get rid of it. This is also found this to be the case with exercise equipment. Ebay tends to pull bidders into a frenzy towards the end of the auction so if you have an item that most people are searching for then buying low on Craigslist and selling high on Ebay may be the way to go.

Date Night Childcare

If you love children, then this is a great option! Market yourself to local parents as the date night solution. Parents of young children are always looking for trustworthy and reliable people to babysit so that they can have a few needed hours to themselves. Offer overnight babysitting and you're in it to win it! Parents appreciate it and you will certainly be passed around to their friends to do the same. Tip: It helps if you're CPR and first aid certified. Parents want to know that if something happens that you know how to tackle the situation with skill.

Get a second Job

Right now it may seem that jobs aren't plentiful but there are indeed many lower paying jobs that you'd be surprised aren't being filled. This is to your advantage as you may be able to negotiate better hours in exchange for filling a position, especially during the holidays.

Make Your Hobby Your New Money Maker

What do you spend most of your time doing? Take that and make some money doing it! This isn't always immediately obvious, so take some time to think about how you can combine 1 or a few of your passions into something that can net you some cash for a rainy day. For example, if you have a Type A personality and love organizing spaces then advertise yourself to friends and family as an organizer. The same goes for make up. If you happen to do makeup really well then market yourself to local brides as the makeup guru to get their faces done on the big day.

Start A Bath and Body Products Company

Don't gloss over this just yet. There's a huge market for naturally made soaps, creams and perfumes. If you can find a good supplier for unique and quality scents with a fresh base then you are set. The drawback of this is of course becoming too popular and then falling behind on orders since they are handmade and made to order. Research this opportunity carefully and thoroughly. One should only enter this arena if they truly have a heart of creating lovely smell goods!

Tutoring

This is pretty self-explanatory. Put flyers up at local schools and post and ad on Craigslist detailing your specialties and rates. It helps to have great references and the ability to coach children through difficult topics while helping them learn the information in a way that they are unable to in class.

Earning extra money may seem difficult, but put some thoughts into where your energy will be most profitable prior to jumping in. What are your best money makers when you need extra cash?